Electric-light apparatus.



(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 23, I90I. 0. MP. MOORE.

ELECTRIC LIGHT APPARATUS.

(Afplication filed Apr. '15, 1898.

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ELECTRIC LIGHT APPARATUS.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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THE NORRIS warns co, Pumauma, wasnwmon o No. 672,452. Patented Apr. 23, l90l. D. McF. MOORE.

ELECTRIC LIGHT APPARATUS.

(Applicafiion filed Apr. 15, 1898.) (llolodeh) 4 Shaets-Sheei 4.

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DANIEL MCFARLAN MOORE, OF NEWARK, NEVI JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOORE ELECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT APPARATUS.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,452, dated April 23, 1901 Application filed April 15, 1898. Serial N0. 677,706. \No model-J To to whom it may concern.- 16. In the circuit of wires and 11 is a rd- Be it known that I, DANIEL'MOFARLAN tary transformer 1'7, from which current is MOORE, a citizen of the United States, and a. fed to the rotary ring-field 18, which, as indiresident of Newark, in the county of Essex cated in Fig. 2, encircles the rotatorv in the 5 5 and State of New Jersey, have invented a cerplane of the armature 19, which is mounted tain new and useful Electric-Light Apparaon the shaft of the rotator. Then in the tns, of which the following is a specification. circuit of wires 12 and 11 are the pairs of mag- My invention relates to apparatus for pronets 21, which are located in the plane of the ducing luminous effects, Roentgen rays, and contact-brushes 5o 10 similar effects by electric vibrations, waves, The contact-brushes are represented at 22, or disturbances generated by repeatedly inand preferably consist of several plates or terrupting a circuit of self-induction, the tongues hinged upon or otherwise suitably electromotive forces or disturbances thereby connected to posts 23, which are secured in generated beingutilized directly orindirectly suitable projections from the walls of the 15 in another circuit or path, termed a workglass receptacle of the rotator, as indicated ing circuit, to produce the desired effect by at 24:. Upon the back of the brushes 22 are means of a vacuum-tube or similar device. preferably mounted springs, as 25, against One object of the invention is to construct which rest the ends of armature-levers 26, the systems of this sort which shall serve for isoarmatures 27 of which are mounted upon the 2o lated plants or for use on existing circuits. free ends of the levers near the walls of the Another object of the invention is the imrotator receptacle or case. These armaprovement in the apparatus included in these tures are in the fields of the magnets 21, and systems. through the instrument-ality of said magnets With these objects in view the invention and the armature-levers 26 the brushes are 25 consists in the construction, combination, held in close engagement with the circuitand arrangement of parts hereinafter fully breaking wheel 28. The application of magdescribed, and set forth in the claims. netic pressure to theinclosed contact-brushes In the accompanying drawings, which form is fully disclosed in myapplication for patent, a partof this specification, Figure 1 is a dia- Serial No. (515,970, filed December 17, 1896, 8o 0 grammatic representation of the system emand the circuit-breaking wheel here illusbodying the invention. Fig. 2 isa side elevatrated is fully disclosed in my application, tion of the rotary circuit-interrupter. Fig. 3 Serial No. 643,337, filed July 3, 1897, and conis a section through the interrupter, taken in sists of a metallic cylinder having porcelain the horizontal plane indicated by line 3 3, plugs inserted therein and the whole ground 5 Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section down to expose as much of said plugs is through the upper jeweled bearing of the ronecessary. tator-shaft. Fig. 5 diagrammatically repre- It will be noticed that the projections 2a sentsone'modeo'f equippinganisolated plant. for supporting the brush-bearing posts 23 Fig. 6 represents one way of adapting the inhave complementary parts exterior to the ro- 0 o vention to an alternating-currentsystem, and tater-receptacle for the purpose of making a Figs. 7 to 15 represent several variations in more thorough seal for said post andwires the connections and arrangements of the cirleading thereto. cuits of induction and of the circuits into Considerable trouble has been experienced which they discharge. in the construction of a rotary interrupter 5 5 Vacuum-tube lighting by this invention because of the necessary accuracy with which i may be readily effected upon any of the eXistthe bearings for the rotary shaft must be coning systems of current distribution. Fig. l structedand mounted within the vacuous reshows it adapted to the ordinary three-wire ceptacle; but these difliculties have been system. ThereinlO ll 12 indicate the lineovercome in the present form of rotator, and 50 wires, and 13 and ll the conductors leading the amount of metal within the vacuous tothe interrupter-.15 and to the lights 16 and chamber has been reduced to the minimum.

The construction by which this is accomplished is that illustrated. Therein the lower bearing for the shaft 20, which by preference is an ordinary jeweled step-bearing, is mounted at the centerofaspiderorbridge29,forined, preferably, from glass rods bowed or bent, as indicated, to allow for expansion or contraction and having the ends of its legs secured in or to the walls of the receptacle. The upper bearing for the shaft is formed upon a stem, as 30, which is secured or anchored in the wall of the receptacle. To this stem is attached a tubular socket 31, having within its lower end a hollow vitreous plug or bushing 32, centrally located for the insertion of the upper end of the shaft 20. Above this plug and resting upon it is the bearing-jewel 33, and between this jewel and the stem 30 there is preferably placed a weight 34 for holding the jewel upon the shaft. For this weight may obviously be substituted its equivalenta spring. By this means the shaft 20 is insulated from the metal parts of the bearing, thereby preventing any sparking between it and said parts. Current is conveyed to the shaft from the metal parts of the bearing, preferably by springs 35, which are mounted upon arms 36, secured, substantially as indicated, to the socket 31.

The rotary field 18 exterior to the vacuous receptacle and the armature 19 within said receptacle constitute the motor by which the circuit-breaking wheel 28 is rotated. This armature may be in any suitable form, but preferably consists of the arc-shaped portions 37, represented in dotted lines within the field 18, said portions being con nected by the crosspiece 38, which is suitably secu red to the shaft 20. Current is supplied to the rotator from wire 10 over conductor 13, connected to the stem 30, and is taken from the break-Wheel over brushes 22 and the conductors 141- or 14, the latter uniting with the former, as indicated, and to the main 12.

The vacuum tubes or lamps or such other translating devices as may be seen fit to use upon this system are located beyond the r0-.

tator connections and in multiple between the conductor 13 and the conductors 1-1 and 14. At the opposite side of the rotator counections there are located in the conductors 13, 14, and 14' self-induction coils 39, wherein the inductive resistance upon opposite sides of the break in the interrupter is equalized, to the end set forth in my application, Serial No. 615,971, filed December 17, 1896.

In the adaptation of the invention to an isolated plant a multiphase generator is preferably employed, which may be located, .for instance, in the basement of the building, as at 40, Fig. 5, and a rotator placed upon each one of the fioors of the building, two such fioors being represented in the drawings and the rotators designated, diagrammatically, simply by the rotary fields 18 and circuitbreaking wheels 28. Said rotary fields are connected to the generator substantially as indicatedthat is, by running a series of conductors 42 up through the building and tapping therefrom to the rotary fields. The lighting-circuits in a system thus installed may be taken from an independent source or from the direct-current side of the generator, as indicated by wires *1, or from alternate ones of the conductors #12, leading from the multiphase side of the generator, as indi cated by the dotted lines 43. In the first two instances the conductors, as 41, would be led up through the building and branches therefrom lead to the circuit-breaking wheel 28, as indicated, while in the last instance the branches to the circuit-breaking wheel would be taken directly from the motor-conductors 42.

If it is desired to operate the system from alternating-current mains, an arrangement substantially as indicated in Fig. 6 may be adopted. Therein the alternating mains are indicated at 44. A suitable static transformer is employed, as indicated at 45, from which the circuit is led to the rotary field 18 of the interrupter, as indicated. Any other form of transformer may be used at 45 that will give the desired rotation of field-currents in the ring-field 18. The lighting-circuit may be supplied from the branches 46, which lead to said field, as in Fig. 5, or they may be supplied from an independent source or. from the alternating mains by means of a transformer, as indicated at 17.

The operation of the system is as follows, reference being had to Fig. 1: The rotary transformer 17 causes the sections of the rotary field to be energized successively, thereby rotating the armature 19 and the breakwheel 28 at a very high speed, the contact between the brushes and the break-wheel be ing constantly maintained by the magnet 21. Horseshoe-magnets are preferably employed for this purpose, as indicated, thereby preventing the passage of magnetic lines of force through the receptacle, as would be the case were single-pole magnets used. Upon the interruptions in the circuit at the break-wheel the kick of coils' 39 or the current resulting from the self-induction of said coils flows through the tubes 16 16, thereby illuminating them. The interruption of the circuit or circuits of induction may take place simultaneously or successively, accordingly as the brushes are arranged to bear upon the breakwheel.

Figs. 3 and 7 to 15 show various arrange ments of brushes. Said figures show likewise various arrangements for the circuits of induction and lighting circuits. In Fig. 7 the contact-brushes 22 are arranged to break circuit simultaneously, thereby dividing up the tendency to spark by increasing the extent of conducting-surface between the brushes and the break-wheel and providing for a division of the circuit leading to the break- Wheel. In Fig. 8 the brushes are arranged to break circuit successively, thereby multiplying the number of discharges into the lamps 16, the arrangement shown in this figure giving three times the number of discharges into the lamp-circuit for one revolution of the break-wheel to what is obtained in the arrangement shown in Fig. 7. In Fig.

the brushes are also arranged to break circuit successively. Here the arrangement of circuits is such that a three-wire system simil0 lar to that shown in Fig. 1 shall discharge into a single lamp-circuit or bank of lamps, instead of into a series of such circuits, as in Fig. 1, thereby giving a high frequency. In Fig. substantially the same arrangement of circuits of induction and lamp-circuits is shown as in Fig. 1, save that condensers at 48 are shown bridging the circuits of induction leading to the break-wheel for steadying the disruptive or self-inductive. discharges from the coils 39. In Fig. 11 substantially the same arrangement of circuits of induction exists as in Fig. 10. In the arrangement here shown, however, the lighting-circuit is supplied from the secondary Winding 39 of an induction- 2; coil whose primary is 39 and which is located in the middle conductor of the three- Wire system. A secondary, as 39", may be placed upon the coils 39 instead of upon the coil 39*. In that case two light-circuits or banks of lights may be operated from this system. This arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 12. These figures show the arrangement of circuits in which the condenser is of the greatest utility.

5 By multiplying the number of brushes upon the break-wheel in the three-wire system of Figs. 1 and 10 the light-circuits supplied from the same interrupter may be increased, or this same object may be efiected by adding 40 more break-wheels to shaft 20. The former arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 13, wherein it may be seen that the brushes 22 break circuit successively and current is supplied to four banks of lights.

To increase the frequency of interruptions in the circuits of induction two rotators may be used, as indicated by the break-wheels 28in Fig. 14. Therein the interrupters are in parallel and are to be rotated in unison and the 5o break-wheels so adjusted that they shall alternatein the interruption of the circuit. It

will also be noted that the light-circuits are so arranged that each interrupter controls both banks of lights and may direct the selfinductive discharges through them simultaneously, as in said figure, orsuccessively, de-

pending upon whether or not the brushes on each break-wheel break circuit simultaneously or successively. Obviously these two break-wheels may be together in the same chamber and operated by the same motor or they may be in separate chambers and their motors run in unison.

As the system of lighting herein disclosed is intended for general use and on various circuits, it is well to provide some automatic regulation for the current supplied to the break-wheel or, in other words, for the current supplying the circuit of ind uction. Such regulation may be effected in various ways, one of which isillustrated in Fig. 15, wherein one of the self-induction coils, as 39, is in the form of a solenoid and has a core, as 50, suspended in the axis thereof by a spring attached to an adj ustingscrew 51, the end of the core slightly entering the coil. Should an excess of current start over conductor 13, the core will be drawn down into the coilaud the flow of the current retarded. In addition to the impedance to the current caused by the insertion of the core the movement of the core may be utilized to throw a resistance into the circuit 13, as shown at 52, an arm on the core traversing a series of resistance-coils as the core moves up or down. If desired, the descent or return of the core 50 may be retarded by connecting a dash-pot thereto in any of the well-known ways.

The invention claimed is 1. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, the combination with a circuit of induction, of a circuit-breaking wheel having two or more brushes or contacts arranged to successively break the circuit of induction momentarily and maintain it closed in the interims a dischargecircuit common to said brushes, and vacuum-tube lamps in said discharge-circuit.

2. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similareffects, the combination with a circuit of induction, of rotary circuit interrupting devices in a vacuum, having two or more sets of contacts each connected to the same circuit of induction or branch thereof, said sets of contacts being arranged to break circuit simultaneously for the purpose of dividing up the interrupted current and thereby lessening the destructive effects upon the vacuum.

3. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances, suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, the combination with a circuit of induction, of a circuit-interrupting device included in a vacuum and arranged to break the circuit of induction simultaneously at two points within the vacuum for the purpose of diminishing the destructive effects on the vacuum due to the disruptive action therein.

4. In an apparatus for generating electric waves,vibrationsordisturbances,suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, the combination with a circuit of induction, of a circuit-interrupting device operating in a vacuum and arranged to break a circuit of induction simultaneously at two or more points in multiple for the purpose of decreasing the damaging effects of the disruptive action upon the vacuum.

5. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances, suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, a circuit-interrupter having two or more points o'finterruption controlling respectively branches of a circuit of induction, and a condenser for each branch connecting it to the common return.

6. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, a circuit-interrupterhaving two or more points of interruption within a vacuum, a branch circuit for each point of interruption and a condenser connected between each branch an d the common return exterior to the vacnous chamber.

7. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, a circuit-interrupter havi ng two or more points of interruption controlling separate branches of a circuit of induction, and an induction-coil the primaryof which receives the discharges of said circuit.

8. I11 an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, the combination with a circuit-inter rupter having a number of points of interruption each controlling a separate branch, of a circuit of induction, a common return, a corresponding number of discharge-circuits conneeted to said branches and also having a return connected to the return for the branches of the circuits of induction, and self-inductive coils placed respectively in said branches and in the common return.

A 9. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbancessuitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, a circuit-interrupter having a number of points of interruption controlling separate branches of the circuit of induction, a self-inductive coil in each branch, and a common discharge-circuit into which the discharges from the said branches are fed.

10. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances, suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, a circuit-interrupter having a number of points of interruption controlling separate branches of a circuit of induction, a self-inductive coil in each branch and in the common return, and a discharge-circuit common to the branches.

11. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, a source of continuous current supplying a rotary circuit-interrupting device included in a vacuum and adapted to break circuits of induction fed from said continuouscurrent supply, and a multiphase secondary circuit of said transformer supplying the rotary field arranged exterior to the interrn pterinclosure for producing rotation of the parts within the vacuum.

12. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, the combination substantially as described, of a multiphase and continuous-current generator, distributing-circuits leading from the multiphase side of the generator, a series of rotary circuits leading from the multiphase side of the generator, a series of rotary circnit-interrupters each operated by a rotary field supplied from said circuits, and circuits of induction supplied from the continuous-current side of the generator each circuit including one of the interrupters and being governed thereby.

13. In a rotary circuit-interrupter, the combination with a vacnous glass receptacle, of a rotary shaft therein carrying the breakwheel, a bearing for the upper end of said shaft secured in. the wall of the receptacle, and a bearing for the lower end of the shaft supported on a glass spider or bridge spanning the receptacle.

14:. The combination with the vacnous receptacle and the rotary shaft therein, of a step-bearing for said shaft and a spider of glass supporting said hearing at its center, and having its legs bent and integrally secured in the walls of the receptacle.

15. In a rotary interrupter inclosed in a vacnous receptacle, an arched or bent glass support for the shaft of the interrupter.

16. The combination with the vertical shaft, of the upper bearing therefor, consisting of an insulating-bushing in which the end of the shaft turns, the jewel-bearing resting upon the end of the shaft, and means for holding the jewel in place, substantially as set forth.

17. The upper bearing for the armatureshaft consisting of the stem anchored in the wall of the receiver, the socket mounted thereon, the bushing in the lower end of said socket, the jewel-bearing located above said bushing, and the weight resting upon said jewel, as and for the purpose set forth.

18. The rotary circuit-interrupter consisting of the vacnous glass receptacle the ver tical rotary shaft therein having its bearings anchored in the walls of said receptacle, the brushes mounted on one of said bearings and engaging the shaft, the break-wheel on said shaft, the depending rods anchored in the wall of the receptacle, the contact-brushes mounted on said rods and engaging the breakwheel, the armature secured to said shaft, and magnetic means exterior to the receptacle for rotating the armature.

19. The combination with a vacnous chamher and a rotary break wheel therein of brushes bearing on said wheel and having armatures connected therewith, and horseshoe-magnets exterior to said chamber each magnet being located to include one of said armatures in its field for the purpose of maintaining and regulating the pressure of the brushes upon the break-wheel.

20. The rotary circuit-interrupter consisting of the vacnous glass receptacle, the rotary shaft therein, the break-wheel carried by said shaft, the rods anchored in and depending from the wall of the receptacle, the brushes pivoted thereon and bearing upon the break-wheel, levers also pivoted upon said rods and hearing at one end upon the brushes and carrying armatures at the other end, and magnets exterior to the receptacle for attracting said armatures to hold the brushes upon the break-Wheel.

21. In an apparatus for generating electric Waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light or other effects, the combination with branches of circuits of induction, and means for rapidly interrupting the same, of Working or discharge circuits connected across from said branches to the common return for the circuit of induction.

22. In an apparatus for generating electric Waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light or other effects, the combination with two or more branches of circuit each including a self-inductive device and means for interrupting its circuit,of dischargecircuits connected between said branches and their common return.

23. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light or other effects, the combination with two or more self inductive branches, of means for rapidly interrupting their connection with a common return, and discharge-circuits connected between said branches and said common return.

24. In an apparatus for generating electric Waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light or other effects, the combination with tWo or more self inductive branches and means for rapidly interrupting their connection with a common return, of a discharge-wire leading from each branch, and translating devices or circuits connected in multiple between each of said dischargewires, and the common return for the selfinductive circuits.

25. The combination with the conductingshaft, of the metal support therefor carrying a brush or brushes which bear on the shaft, and a non-conducting bushing receiving the end of the shaft.

26. The combination with the interruptershaft of metal parts forming a bearing therefor, a brush or brushes bearing upon the shaft and supported by said metal parts whereby current is led to the shafts, and an insulatingbushing between the shaft and metal parts, as and for the purpose described.

27. In an apparatus for generating electric waves, vibrations or disturbances suitable for producing light, Roentgen rays or similar effects, a circuit of induction having a multiple break the individual breaks of which are in series with one another, and a discharge-circuit in shunt to said breaks collectively.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 25th day of March, A. D. 1898.

DANIEL MOFARLAN MOORE.

Witnesses:

WM. H. OAPEL, DELBERT H. DECKER. 

